Report: Nintendo is bringing The Legend of Zelda to smartphones

Nintendo will bring its popular Legend of Zelda franchise to smartphones sooner rather than later, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

The outlet claims "people familiar with the matter" have said the company's upcoming Animal Crossing app will hit shelves in the second half of 2017, and will be followed up by the rumored Zelda title.

Although it's worth taking the news with a pinch of salt, Nintendo clearly has no qualms with bringing its biggest franchises to smartphones.

The Japanese console maker has already released mobile versions of its popular Super Mario and Fire Emblem games, and confirmed Animal Crossing will be heading to smartphones in the future.

With that in mind, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see Zelda make the jump to mobile, particularly if Nintendo is hoping to capitalize on the success of Breath of the Wild, which sold 2.76 million copies on the Switch alone.

The Journal fails to mention how Nintendo would monetize the title, but previous reports suggest the firm is keen to employ the premium model seen in Super Mario Run, where it offered players a small number of levels for free before asking for $9.99 to unlock the full experience.